Estrange

Estrange is a transitive verb meaning to cause someone to no longer feel close or connected to a person, group, or idea; to alienate or distance someone from a previously valued relationship or affiliation. It can apply to intimate relationships, family ties, friendships, or affiliations with organizations, communities, or beliefs.

The word derives from Old French and Latin roots related to foreignness or strangeness, with Middle French forms such as estranger. In English, it has carried the sense of turning away or making something feel foreign to the self, evolving into the common usage of inducing emotional or social distance. The related noun estrangement describes the resulting state of being estranged, while alienation is often used synonymously but can carry a more formal or broader tone.

In usage, estrange emphasizes relational or emotional detachment rather than formal separation. It often implies that conflict, behavioral changes, or changing circumstances have made individuals less connected, without necessarily ending the relationship completely. Distinctions from synonyms include alienate, which can carry stronger or more legal or ideological connotations, and distance, which is more general. Estrange can also be used metaphorically to describe ideas, loyalties, or places becoming unfamiliar or inhospitable to someone’s previous sense of belonging.

In literature and psychology, estrangement is a common theme exploring shifts in identity, belonging, and social ties. Reconciliation or renewal of bonds may follow estrangement, but the term itself notes a disruption in a prior sense of closeness rather than a final departure.